Reps want exposure assessment of staff members to be expedited

Exposure to metals at the prison was 450 times that
of allowable levels.

ELKTON — Two congressmen are asking that the final assessment of staff members at the Federal Correctional Institution exposed to toxic levels of cadmium and lead be completed expeditiously.

U.S. Reps. Tim Ryan, of Niles, D-17th, and Charles Wilson, of St. Clairsville, D-6th, sent a letter Friday to the U.S. Justice Department asking the final assessment be completed “without delay.”

A recently released report by the justice department’s Office of Inspector General said a multiagency investigation determined that employees at the prison in Elkrun Township were exposed to levels 450 times that are allowable by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The exposure took place while changing air handling filters in the ventilation system at the inmate work factory known as UNICOR.

UNICOR has operated a recycling operation that breaks down computer parts that contain the two metals.

“It is widely known that lead can damage nervous connections and cause blood and brain disorders, and that cadmium is a known carcinogen that can induce many types of cancer,” the congressmen wrote.

In their letter, Ryan and Wilson said that in addition to not delaying the assessment, they asked that their offices be kept informed as soon as the information becomes available.

The congressmen wrote that they also want to work with the justice department after the final findings are released to prevent future exposure to prison employees and inmates.